Wirecard enables Stuttgart to be the first official China Pay City in Germany

Aschheim (Munich)/Stuttgart (ots) -

- The partnership facilitates the use of Chinese mobile payment
solutions Alipay and WeChat Pay in local businesses throughout the
city
- Around 50 locations in Stuttgart, including restaurants, retailers
and museums, now accept Alipay and WeChat Pay, with many more to be
added soon
- Tourists can find Stuttgart attractions and points of interest on
the Alipay and WeChat Pay apps

Wirecard, the global innovation leader in digital financial
technology, today announced a partnership with Stuttgart-Marketing
GmbH, the official tourism partner of the German state capital of
Baden-Württemberg. The collaboration enables the use of the most
popular Chinese mobile payment methods in establishments across the
city. As a result, Chinese Alipay and WeChat Pay users can now pay
with their preferred mobile payment methods in around 50 locations in
Stuttgart, including restaurants and bars, museums, retail stores,
and transportation services. The partnership is expected to
continuously expand, encompassing many more businesses in the near
future.

Wirecard and Stuttgart-Marketing are capitalizing on the needs and
preferences of Chinese tourists in Germany. Stuttgart is the first
city in Germany to position itself as a China Pay City, with the aim
of offering the Alipay and WeChat Pay payment solutions in as many
locations frequented by Chinese travelers as possible.

Tourists using the Alipay and WeChat apps can find out more about
a particular restaurant, hotel or shopping area with a profile in
Mandarin, and be sure that they can pay for their meal and shopping
items with their mobile payment apps. In addition, businesses can be
looked up, reviewed, and featured in special discount sections within
the apps. Wirecard will take over the full payment integration and
processing, as well as support marketing activities, such as hosting
in-app special offers and discounts.

Stuttgart remains among the most visited cities by Chinese
tourists in Germany. In 2017, Chinese tourists made up the fourth
largest foreign visitor market for Stuttgart, accounting for 65,000
overnight stays in the city. The initiative to become a China Pay
City, supported by Wirecard, could be worthwhile for more German
cities: China remains among the most important source markets for
inbound tourism in Germany, with 2.9 million overnight stays in 2017.

"We are proud to be able to offer Chinese mobile payment methods
in local businesses on a wide scale, and look forward to encouraging
more and more companies to join our initiative," commented Armin
Dellnitz, Managing Director of Stuttgart-Marketing. "China continues